UGANDA—Medical research practitioners in Uganda have unveiled new modalities to bolster existing HIV/AIDS preventive measures, according to a report by the Nile Post.
This innovation was announced during a Science Café in Masaka City, organized by the Health Journalists Network of Uganda, aimed at improving public awareness on health issues.
The Science Café aims to improve journalists’ public health awareness skills while also emphasizing existing methods by providing a forum for discussing innovative ways of HIV prevention and the vital role of accurate information dissemination in tackling the epidemic.
Speaking during the event, Dr. Jonathan Kitonsa from the Medical Research Council/Uganda Virus Research Institute (MRC/UVRI) revealed that these additional measures will complement existing methods such as condoms, circumcision, and being faithful.
The new approaches include the vaginal ring, oral PrEP (Pre-Exposure Prophylaxis) pills for high-risk individuals, and injectable treatments that address adherence issues with oral medications and reduce stigma.
Dr. Kitonsa explained that the vaginal ring has been found to be about 50% effective when used appropriately.
Oral PrEP pills are designed for individuals at high risk of HIV, and the injectable treatments are administered every two months after an initial four-week dose, providing a more discreet and less frequent alternative to daily pills.
These methods have undergone thorough research and received regulatory approval.
“In Uganda, we have been discussing combination packages with various methods, but we now recommend initiating high-risk individuals on PrEP to prevent them from acquiring HIV/AIDS,” said Dr. Kitonsa.
He emphasized that individuals should continue taking these pills for as long as they remain at risk.
Additionally, he stressed the importance of making these new methods available in health facilities to combat the low uptake of existing methods due to stigma and misinformation.
Dr. Kitonsa also highlighted the high prevalence of HIV in prisons and urged the government to extend these preventive measures to incarcerated individuals.
He noted that HIV/AIDS remains a significant burden in the Masaka sub-region and Uganda, with a prevalence rate of 5.5% among adults aged 15–49, 7.1% among females, and 3.8% among males.
According to a UNAIDS report from 2020, at least 570 young women aged 15–24 acquire HIV/AIDS every week in Uganda.
Despite the inclusion of oral PrEP in the combination HIV prevention strategy, new infections remain unacceptably high. Uganda’s HIV combination prevention strategy includes structural, behavioral, and biomedical interventions, now incorporating ARV drugs for HIV-negative individuals to prevent HIV acquisition before exposure.
For her part, Dr. Faith Nakiyimba, the Masaka District Medical Officer, pointed out the high prevalence of HIV/AIDS in Masaka due to the influx of people from neighboring districts and its status as an entertainment hub.
She noted that PrEP would help address the high-risk exposure. Dr. Nakiyimba mentioned that all hospitals in the region now offer PrEP, along with private clinics and counseling services, although dropout rates remain a challenge.
Mr. Malik Fahad Jingo, coordinator for the Health Journalists Network in Uganda, underscored the ongoing challenge of misinformation and the crucial role of journalists in conveying accurate information from researchers to the public.
He highlighted the importance of equipping the public with the necessary information to make informed decisions, ultimately helping the country achieve a generation free from HIV/AIDS by 2030.
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